If you have never planned a surprise party before, you’re in for an exhilarating endeavor! Imagine the look on the guest of honor’s face when he or she experiences the efforts and creativity you have pulled off to see their excitement and joy. It’s a memory that lasts a lifetime and is worth every second of planning it takes. We promise!
Let’s face it, with the hustle and routine of everyday life, the surprises we all experience are few and far between. So, celebrate a loved one or a co-worker by throwing the best NYC surprise bash. Here are some helpful insights to make it fun and memorable, without overlooking those ever-important surprise party details.
Consider Your Guest of Honor
Throwing a surprise party is all about your guest of honor. Whether you’re planning a birthday party, a bridal/baby shower, a retirement celebration, or something else, it’s important to consider their preferences and availability. Make choices based on their interests, such as theme, venue, and activities, and make sure to discreetly confirm their schedule to ensure they’re available.
Jump Into Party Planning
Once the decision has been made to throw a surprise celebration, the party planning can begin. Choose a date and time that works for the guest of honor, give yourself enough time to notify guests, and plan all the details. Ideally, Evite suggests planning at least a month in advance. If you’re planning a party that coincides with a specific date, such as a birthday or retirement, try to pick a date that’s close to or on those actual dates while keeping in mind the most convenient days for your guests to attend.
Create a Guest List and Rally Some Help
It’s time to figure out who’s coming to the party and create a guest list that should be at the top of your list. It’s important to consider who the guest of honor will want to see at their party. Once you have a list finalized, it’s time to rally some help. Of course, you can plan a party on your own, but it’s okay to ask for help, too. Some of the party attendees will be happy to lend a hand in a surprise celebration. For those who want to be a part of the planning process, designate tasks and roles you need assistance with in curating the hush-hush celebration.
Set a Party-Planning Budget
Anytime you’re planning any type of NYC event, it’s important to establish a budget. Whether it’s a milestone celebration or an employee party, a well-laid-out surprise party budget is imperative. Costs can get out of hand quickly, and setting a realistic plan for how much to spend will help keep those costs down. There will be expenses for catering, decor, entertainment, the NYC venue, and more. If a group of people are contributing to the party, decide how expenses will be shared and be transparent about where everyone’s money will be going.
Choose a Sizzling Hot NYC Location
New York City is full of fantastic venues to host any size and type of party, from rooftop spaces, speakeasies, courtyards, restaurants, hotels, nightclubs, and more! There’s no doubt you’ll find exactly what you’re looking for, based on your guest of honor and partygoers. Once you have a guest list and budget set, it’s time to choose a location. Just remember to visit every space in person before booking to make sure it’s a great fit for your event designs and guests.
Send Out Hush-Hush Invitations
The party planning is well underway. You have a date, finalized the guest list, set a budget, and chosen the location. It’s time to invite all the guests and make sure they know it’s a surprise party so no one spills the details. Consider digital invitations as they are the most discreet, come with RSVP features, and allow for event updates. Keep in mind that you’ll want party attendees to show up a bit before the guest of honor, so make sure that time is stated properly on the invite.
Plan the Event Details
Surprise parties don’t differ much from every other type of party in that there’s a lot of details to plan for and decisions to be made. Things like deciding on a theme, catering options, event entertainment and activities, and party favors are all part of any event planning checklist. With so many NYC vendors to coordinate, it will help to outline your questions beforehand, so you can collect vital info about timelines, rentals, and deposits. Here’s where you’ll want to tap in those party-planning helpers you lined up earlier, too.
Come Up with a Decoy Plan
One of the most important aspects of pulling off a successful surprise party is coming up with a solid and airtight decoy plan to lure the guest of honor to the set location. This can be done in a number of different ways but make sure they are dressed appropriately for the party so they don’t feel uncomfortable. It’s always a good idea to clue in the rest of the guests to the decoy plan so they know what to expect before the party starts.
Execute the Perfect Reveal
Everything is ready to go. The NYC venue is set up with decor, the food and drinks are all prepared, the event entertainment is ready to liven up the party, and the guests are prepped for the big reveal. It’s time to finalize the last-minute details and execute the perfect reveal. Let the guests know how to surprise the guest of honor so everyone is on the same page. Surprises can go wrong if everyone doesn’t know what to do. Consider having a photographer or videographer available to capture the epic moment.
Let EMRG Media Make Your Surprise Party a Blast
Planning a NYC surprise party can be a lot of work, but it’s all worth it when you see how your guest of honor reacts to being celebrated in this way. Take it one step at a time! And if you don’t want to take on the task alone, trust the event planning experts at EMRG Media! With over 25 years of private party planning experience, we can elevate any NYC event with our dedicated team of professionals. Contact us today, and let’s start planning!
